Friday, July 08, 2005
Gimmie One Reason
...That Plan B, the 'morning after pill,' should not be allowed over the counter. Since opposition to this plan has been entirely political, I don't expect a new study of the facts to sway our famously non-reality-based administration.
But, it's interesting to me: the British study found that OTC availability of emergency contraception did not increase its use (i.e., did not encourage unsafe practices). The only increases in use one could reasonably have expected would have been quite transient, since the side effects are rather extraordinarily unpleasant, and anyone who took it once would be motivated not to take it again. Given this, and that bad news travels fast, I would expect that women would hear quickly that they didn't want to take it, and would therefore only think of doing so when absolutely necessary.
But, it's interesting to me: the British study found that OTC availability of emergency contraception did not increase its use (i.e., did not encourage unsafe practices). The only increases in use one could reasonably have expected would have been quite transient, since the side effects are rather extraordinarily unpleasant, and anyone who took it once would be motivated not to take it again. Given this, and that bad news travels fast, I would expect that women would hear quickly that they didn't want to take it, and would therefore only think of doing so when absolutely necessary.
